Two Against One is Good Odds
by Black Jellyfish
Summary: After his marriage to Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible relents and takes Buddy in as his sidekick, Incrediboy. Though Buddy's future as Syndrome is averted, new dangers arise...
1. Chapter 1

There was a sharp knock at the door, and Toby Field is snapped out of the daze he had fallen in. There was another knock, then another, then three more. Shaking his head from side to side to gather himself, Toby says, "You can come in, Buddy."

The door swings open with such force that Toby is surprised that it does not break from its hinges. The ten-year-old boy rushes into the room, wheezing. For his part, Toby's eyebrows rise. He had been correct in suspecting that the fanatical Mr. Incredible fanboy would have come so late at night, but he was still in shock over his new outfit.

Buddy was decked out in a blue-and-white uniform with a stylized "i" over the heart. A blue cape hung off his shoulders, and a domino mask was stretched across his face. Most curiously, he had a pair of clunky metal boots that conflicted with the rest of the costume.

Buddy came staggering up to the middle-aged Manager of the Superhero fan club, with only the walnut desk separating the two of them. Buddy takes a few deep breaths, and with a forced smile says, "Hi, Mr. Field! How are you? Sorry to bother, but can you drop this off? The boy slams his hand on the desk, and Toby can see that Buddy has written yet another note for none other than Mr. Incredible.

Taking the paper, Toby stares at Buddy before sighing, "Don't tell me you tried to be his sidekick, boy. You know you're not suited for it." The boy rips off the domino mask and stares at Toby with pleading eyes.

The Manager groans as he runs a hand through his greying hair with his free hand. He finally says, "All right, Buddy. I'll see to it that Mr. Incredible gets your…"he pauses to think…"seventy-second letter."

As Buddy smiles from ear to ear, Toby thinks, _If only to get you off my back_.

Bob Parr slowly rises from his bed, slapping his cheeks to ward off his drowsiness. He looks from side to side. His room is deep blue, as i has been since he began renting this apartment two years ago. The room still contains nothing more than a bed, a drawer, and a desk. Almost nothing had been changed.

Smiling, Bob looks down on the other side of the bed. Helen Truax is still lying beneath the blanket, a content look on her sleeping face and her auburn hair still shining. No, not Helen Truax. Helen Parr. What a wonderful change for both superheroes.

As Bob continues to stare, one of Helen's eyes open before a smile crosses her face. "So," she says in a sleepy yet sultry voice, "How did you sleep, big guy?" Bob's own smile brightens. "I slept well, and I know you did too."

Helen sits up in the bed, yawning. Then she looks at Bob once more. "What say you have the honor of cooking our very first breakfast as a married couple, Mr. Incredible," she asks. Bob calmly nods. "Of course, my dear Elastigirl. As long as you're willing to keep down one my patented cooked mushroom omelettes."

Helen's face freezes for a moment before she says, "You win. I'll fix something up." Giving Bob a quick peck on the cheek, she thrusts her arm forward until it grabs onto the doorframe on the other side of the room. One second later, and Helen has launched herself out of the bedroom.

Whistling, and shaking his head in amusement, Bob gets out of bed and walks over to the drawer. He throws on a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans before exiting the bedroom, and walking down the staircase. Helen is waiting for him at the bottom.

"Toast and eggs are cooking," Helen says. With a more confused expression, she holds up a white envelope to Bob, who accepts it and rips it open. He honestly feels excited. Maybe his buddy Frozone has finally popped the question and is in need of a best man? Maybe the Retrocity Grand Bowling Club has finally accepted him?

He takes a few moments to read the note inside before groaning. Shaking his head, he moves past Helen, only saying, "I'll take care of it later, dear."

Mr. Incredible is still standing in the middle of the wooded Retrocity East Park. He is in his full black-and-blue costume, complete with a domino mask. He does not know long he has been leaning against the pine tree, but at least ten people have already come up to him for autographs, one at a time. He has been as friendly as possible towards them, but he still wishes that the boy would show up soon…

"Hi, Mr. Incredible!" With a jolt, the superhero spins around to see Buddy, who is still wearing his wannabe superhero costume and still sporting a wide grin on his face. Taking a deep breath, Mr. Incredible begins, "Now look, Buddy…"

"You mean you haven't reconsidered having me as a ward?!" Buddy spits as he paces around in a small circle before his idol. "Mr. Incredible rejects me, disses my rocket boots, and jumps on me to ruin my flight pattern…"

Mr Incredible leans forward and places a hand on each of Buddy's shoulders. "I jumped on you," he interrupts, "to remove the bomb that was stuck to you."

Buddy's eyes go wide. "A b-bomb…"

"Yes! That French guy, that...Bomb Voyage? He threw a bomb on your cape and I had to get it off you." Mr. Incredible is scowling now as he releases Buddy. "And the bomb obliterated that part of the rail! And the passengers on the train suffered injuries, even after I stopped the train from falling into the gap and to its doom!"

Buddy is silent for a moment, and Mr. Incredible hopes that the boy has finally taken a hint. Alas, it is not to be. With a loud whoop, Buddy shouts, "OH MAN! I WAS SAVED MY MR. INCREDIBLE!" He quickly hugs the man around his midsection. "My life as a fan is complete!"

"Buddy," Mr. Incredible says, willing himself into a calm mood. "Can you please get off?" Buddy blinks before letting go and taking a step back. "Oh. Sorry, sir."

"What I mean," Mr. Incredible says, "Is that if you can't notice a bombn planted on your own body, you're not really sidekick material." He winces. "A real superhero has to be prepared to experience far worse."

Calm for perhaps the first time in his life, Buddy says, "Then teach me how to be prepared for far worse." As Mr. Incredible sighs, Buddy continues, "You've been patrolling this city for years on end, taking on criminals one at a time! You don't have to shoulder all the burden! Two against one is good odds, you should know that!"

Buddy's eyes are as hopeful as ever. Finally, Mr. Incredible takes a deep breath. "All right, all right." he says. "I'll take you on as my sidekick."

As Buddy's elated shouting fills the air, Mr. Incredible thinks, _If only to to convince you it's a bad idea._


	2. Chapter 2

"Now, Buddy…"

" _Incrediboy_ …" The high-pitched voice assaults Mr. Incredible's ears yet again. The professional superhero stops to look down at his newfound charge, looking up at his six-foot-tall idol with the eager eyes of a puppy.

"Incrediboy," Mr. Incredible says grudgingly, "I'm gonna give you your very first assignment as a superhero's sidekick, okay?" Buddy gleefully shouts and jumps up in the air before performing a short impromptu dance. He finally stops, looks up at the bemused Mr. Incredible, and asks, "What is it going to be, boss?"

"Just wait," Mr. Incredible allows himself a wry smile as he leads Buddy further into the park. Twenty paces and the duo have reached a sizable oak tree. Mr. Incredible swiftly blocks Buddy's path with his right arm while he points to the uppermost branches of the tree with his left.

The boy has to squint, but he eventually sees it; a cute tabby cat, stuck in the uppermost branches of the tree, loudly meowing in fright. Buddy turns to Mr. Incredible before blurting out, "You could see that cat so high in the tree from such a distance? I knew you were amazing!" His smile quickly fades. "But...I mean, saving a cat...isn't that an unworthy first assignment for an upcoming superhero?"

"The job of a superhero," Mr. Incredible says with sudden sternness, "is to help those in need. Don't forget that." He points down at Buddy's rocket boots. "I know you can do it."

Buddy groans loudly before switching on his boots. The powerful jets of flame push him up the tree's length before he reaches the top.

"Alright, kitty, come on...come on kitty...wait, stop, come here...oh no...ugh...ACK! Stop that! Stop that!" Bob is close to smiling at this point.

Buddy eventually comes down from the treetop, carrying the meowing cat securely in his arms. The tabby is still squirming, and Buddy's face bears both a set of scratches and a scowl. Mr. Incredible reaches out to take the cat away and hold it with his right arm.

"Good work, Buddy." Mr. Incredible says. "You have completed your first task as a sidekick." With a few pets from his free hand, the cat calms down and begins to purr. He looks back at Buddy. "Come on, let's go get something for your face."

With a face of mild display, Buddy points at the cat. "Why is it so good to you?" Mr. Incredible strokes the cat's neck. "Because I know how to treat it. Speaking of which, this one seems to be a stray. No collar. Until I can confirm that or find an actual owner, you'll be taking care of it."

"WHAT!?"

Mr. Incredible is leaning outside the general store door, the cat still in his arms. He had given Buddy some money and had told him to buy some Band-Aids for his scratches, some cat food, and a litter box.

He had been tempted to tell Buddy that if he couldn't deal with a single cat, then he would be unfit to face the likes of Bomb Voyage at any point in the future, but he had decided to relent. No need to pick on the kid.

So Mr. Incredible just stands near the door, occasionally waving at the passerby who gush at him, waiting for Buddy to come out.

And come out he does. The boy bursts past the glass doors, face red and breathing hard. In his hand is the day's newspaper, which he practically tosses at Mr. Incredible.

The superhero takes it and reads the headline. A few seconds pass before he crumples the paper in his hand. Cold sweat is already forming on his back.

Today's headline for the Municiberg Reporter: _Mr. Incredible Sued_.


	3. Chapter 3

Buddy Pine is slumped in the swiveling chair before his desk. He has not switched on the lamp in the darkened room, and the chocolate bar on his desk, normally his comfort food, is untouched. He spins himself his chair in a lethargic manner. When he stops, he looks up at the framed poster of Mr. Incredible that has been hanging above his desk for years.

He sighs at the memory of Mr. Incredible leaving him that day. A soon as he crumpled that newspaper and thrown it away, he had turned his back on him and had stormed off. The young sidekick had been standing there, tabby cat in his arms, for ten minutes straight. Then he had walked straight home in silence with the cat. Buddy is snapped out of his gloom by something nipping on his boot. Speaking of which…

Buddy swivels in his chair again, causing the cat to back away a bit. A gaze is held between Buddy's wary blue eyes and the cat's green ones before the boy let out a sigh. He had completely forgotten to buy cat food when he had found the newspaper, and he had not been in the mood to go back. The cat had happily swallowed the lone can of tuna in the cupboard, and had been sitting in the corner until now.

Buddy extends a hand so as to pet the cat, but the animal just turns around and walks back to the corner. Curious, Buddy gets up and follows the cat over to where it stops and stands almost smugly.

Buddy's room is filled with a scream before he runs out and to the bathroom. He rushes back in with a full roll of toilet paper. As he soaks up the pool of urine with the paper, he does not stop to think about how Mr. Incredible had assessed his chance of being a good sidekick.

The tall and plump man has been standing outside the Pine house for all night. NOt even the rising sun has been enough to raise his spirits. He knows he could have just broke in and gotten to the boy that way, but that would...it would have been so _rude_.

The man looks down at himself, pushing his sliding sunglasses up his nose. His purple spandex bodysuit is clinging to skin as tightly as ever, and his green hood and tights still provide a great contrast. He had changed as soon as he had seen that boy stumble into his shop with that stupid knockoff from Mr. Incredible's suit. As he had looked out the big window on the wall, he had actually seen the man himself! How could he have passed up this opportunity?!

The man sighs in relief as the boy finally comes out the door, grasping a cat in his hands and muttering obscenities under his breath. He looks up at the stranger on his front lawn and sighs, wondering how he can explain his situation.

But the stranger has lost his patience. He rushes towards Buddy, flinging off his sunglasses. Once he gets within two feet of the surprised superhero wannabe, a green ray of light emits from each of his eyes. Buddy stops still as he rays enter his own eyes, and the cat lands to the ground with a loud meow.

Mr. Incredible skips down Main Street with a forced smile across his face. Many passersby come towards him to express their sympathies and concern, but he ignores them. He just continues to pull chocolate bars out of his handbag, wolfing them down.

He had come to Helen in the night, angry and hurt after having learned that he was to stand court next Tuesday for saving that stupid suicidal man. After doing her best o console him, she had gone out and bought the bag for him, telling him that they were for improving his mood. Not even the Fry's Chocolate Cream bar had succeeded in this venture, but he was not one to defy his new wife's wishes.

As soon as he reaches the next sidewalk, someone bumps into him from behind, causing him to drop the chocolate. He spins around to apologize for being in the way, but stops cold. Buddy Pine, or Incrediboy, is standing before him. He has swapped his domino mask for a pair of sunglasses, and his body sways from side to side.

Mr. Incredible gets down on one knee and grasps the boy's shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asks. The boy merely clears his throat. "I have been looking for you, Mr. Incredible. I did not know where you were at 9 a.m., so I walked around the city to look for you." His voice is completely dull and monotone.

"You mean you have just been wandering around for two hours straight?" The superhero asks. "...Why?" The boy looks directly at his idol through the sunglasses. His neck twitches. "I want to see the Super Bank Deposit."


	4. Chapter 4

Mr. Incredible takes another look to his side. His Elastigirl is as smashing as she had always been in her red-and-white costume. She brushes her auburn hair out of her face and smiles at him. Behind them is none other than the Super Bank Deposit, and humble single-story building planted years ago in the forest on the city's outskirts.

The two of them then look down at the figure between them; Buddy Pine. His eyes are still glazed over and glowing green, but he stands completely straight. His hands have been secured behind his back with some toy handcuffs that Mr. Incredible had picked up at the general store.

Mr. Incredible has already determined the identity of the one who had hypnotized Buddy: Mezmo. The young man had only joined the roster of super heroes a few months back, and was not even legible to have his name registered and his money deposited in the Super Bank Deposit. No doubt he had responded to the repression of superheroes by starting a life of crime.

Even so, Mr. Incredible is stunned by Mezmo's stupidity. How could he believe the heist could be that easy? Did he really not think there would be security? He and his darling Elastigirl were certainly enough to stop him. How could…

It was that moment that Mr. Incredible hears a low whizzing sound. He turns his head a millimeter to the side, and the 9mm bullet goes right past his ear and embeds itself into the wall of the Super Bank Deposit.

Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and the hypnotized Buddy look straight ahead. There is a group of ten or so civilians, men and women, with a couple handguns between them. The rest are armed with crowbars and knives. All of their eyes are green like Buddy's.

The two superheroes feel their blood boil. Stooping to the exploitation of civilians, is Mezmo? WIthout a word, the two gunman in the crowd fire off their weapons.

Elastigirl jumps in front of Mr. Incredible and Buddy, expanding her body into a flat, thin circle in front of them. The bullets bounce over her kevlar-laced costume, and it isn't long before Mr. Incredible hears the _clicks_ from the attackers' emptied guns.

Elastigirl spins around as her body returns to it's normal proportions. Her arm shoots forward, a white flash in the night. The arm extends several meters to reach the mob and swings left, knocking them all off their feet.

"HALT!" A shrill scream fills the air. The superheroes turn their head left to see Mezmo in full costume; a purple suit with a green hood and tights. His mustachioed face scowls in contrast to Mr. Incredible's smirking one.

"You know," Mr. Incredible says as he wife smiles with him, "On a scale of stupidity between one and ten, I think we all know which extreme you're on. The odds that hypnotized civilians alone could…"

"You say I'm a ten!?" Mezmo lets out an abrupt chuckle as he shakes his head. "You're an eleven! Check that little runt with you!" Mr. Incredible looks down at his charge, and his blood turns cold as Elastigirl gasps.

Buddy has lifted his shirt, displaying a metal apparatus wrapped around his pale body. Three lights are blinking on the chest piece. Mezmo pulls out a remote from his tights and twirls it in between his fingers.

"You don't do as I say, and that boy gets blown to kingdom come!"


	5. Chapter 5

Buddy stands completely still, hypnotized to the point where he cannot recognize the bomb strapped to his body. Several yards away is Mezmo, smiling smugly as he grips the remote in his hands. He smile becomes wider still once he sees the two superheroes turn away from Buddy and look towards him.

Mr. Incredible's eyes are dangerously narrowed, his mouth set into a snarl, his face dripping with sweat. He is lowering into a crouch.

Elastigirl takes her hand off of Buddy's shoulder. Standing straight, she looks at Mezmo with a fierce light in her eyes. She slowly extends her right arm at levels it at Mezmo.

"Did you not hear me?!" shouts the aspiring supervillain. "Make another move and I'll…"

He is cut off when Elastigirl's arm extends by several yards, hitting him in the jaw and knocking out some of his teeth. The hand deftly grabs the remote and the arm snaps back to Elastigirl's side.

Mezmo rises from his crouch, both hands over his bloody mouth. His panicked eyes take in a flash of blue, and his stomach suddenly feels as if a train is lodged in it.

He wordlessly falls on his back.

"So what you're telling me," says Agent RIck Dicker from his end of the line, "is that the newly registered superhero known as Mezmo hypnotized several civilians, including a child, and strapped a bomb to said child in an attempt to raid the Super Bank Deposit. Is that correct?"

Mr. Incredible nods as he grips his phone tighter. He looks over to the other side of the room. Buddy is lying on the bed and under his covers. He cannot begin to imagine what trauma this event will bring the boy. At least the bomb has been removed and disposed of.

"And you are also telling me that you cracked all of Mezmo's ribs and broke his left arm?"

"Yes, sir. He has been placed inside the First Metroville Hospital for treatment." There is a silence over the phone, and then Agent Dicker says, "You are not to speak of this incident form now on."

"Why?"

"We have activated the Iron Maiden."

"What?" Mr. Incredible's blood suddenly goes cold. "Sir, are you sure it is necessary to…"

"Yes," says Agent Dicker firmly. "It must be done."

Mezmo lies on the stark white hospital bed. He is alone; no other patients are in this room, and the staff have left. He cannot move an inch, thanks to the body cast. His costume has been confiscated, and contact lenses have been fitted to his eyes to prevent him from hypnotizing the staff. And his arms have been strapped to the bed so that he cannot remove them.

Mezmo closes his eyes. To think his first step as a supervillain could have gone so badly! To think he could have been so easily humbled! Well...no matter. There is no better teacher than experience. Mezmo opens his eyes.

His mouth opens but produces no scream.

The Iron Maiden is standing right over him, looking down on him through the black holes of the dull gray helmet. The rest of the creature's body is covered in sleek metal armor, gleaming so brightly that it hurt's Mezmo's eyes.

Suddenly, there is a flash of red light in the Iron Maiden's right eye. Mezmo cannot flinch or cry out for help, he is so terrified.

But contrary to what he would have expected, it is not a great big red beam that emits from the Iron Maiden's eye, but a stream of energy thinner than a thread.

The light focuses through Mezmo's right pupil and through his eye socket. It stabs directly into the brain and simply stays there for a moment. In no time at all, Mezmo's brain has been completely burned away by the eye beam, which suddenly dissipates.

Having succeeded in his mission, the Iron Maiden vanishes in a puff of blue smoke.


	6. Chapter 6

Agent Dicker looks down at the city from his twenty-story window, hunched over. His eyelids are drooping, and he feels sweaty and uncomfortable in his tailored suit. His phone conversation with Bob Parr had been completed five or six minutes before, but he still feels cold.

"It's nothing personal," he says to the wall. "It's just...people are scared. You know that. I know that. We all do. And as many a news executive has said, 'give the people what they want.'"

He turns around to see the Iron Maiden right behind him. The latter towers over the former by at least four feet, and his body is completely encased in gleaming armor. Agent Dicker can almost see the menacing eyes within the triangular holes in the helmet.

Agent Dicker knows that he is no more of a threat to the Iron Maiden than an ant would be to a Rottweiler. And yet he not afraid. Not when the computer downstairs has downloaded all of the instructions that the armored warrior needs at the moment. If the computer requires it, the Iron Maiden will gladly cease his breathing and send his lungs into oblivion.

The certainty of such facts is the only reason Agent Dicker can keep himself calm right now, in this room.

* * *

Mr. Incredible turns around and walks to the other side of the window, shaking his head all the while. He grabs the edges of the window and begins to pull it up, only for a voice to cut through the air. "Mr. Incredible…where are you going?"

The tall hero spins around to see Buddy sitting upright in his bed, his eyes glazed and his hair unkempt. "I can't remember much...wait...wait!"

Suddenly, the boy is imbued with energy and an open smile stretches across with a laugh. "THAT WAS SO AWESOME! That jerk mesmerized me, and it was scary when he strapped a bomb to me, but t-then he fought you, and then you took him out with a single blow! ONE HIT! I…"

Mr. Incredible shuts his eyes and lifts his hand, and Buddy obediently silences himself, looking at his idol intently. Several moments pass by before Mr. Incredible declares, "Kid, you're not my sidekick."

A shock runs through Buddy's mind as he sputters, "B-But...you, you said…" Mr. Incredible raises his hand again. "I know what I said. But the events of tonight have proven that the world of superheroes and supervillains and so on is too big for you. Mezmo brainwashed you and others in no time, strapped you to a bomb...and you better believe me when I say he wasn't the biggest threat you could have faced. There are so many more dangerous folks and complete maniacs in my world, and you would be just another one of their victims."

Buddy is stunned, but his face quickly flushes and he yells, "Yeah? So what? Being a victim is better than being a nobody, you know!"

Mr. Incredible runs right over to the bed and drops on one knee. "Don't say that, Buddy." He grabs him by the shoulders. "You are smart, at least in terms of technology and all those doohickies, and you still have your youth. Never call yourself a nobody in my presence, or in anyone else's...or within that head of yours.

Buddy brushes the strong hands of Mr. Incredible off his shoulders. "Don't be so preachy! I can't begin to remember the number of times I was shoved in a locker, or the number of times I was called names by other kids! 'Dweeb,' 'loser,' I remember all of them! You were always so strong! You crushed supervillains on a regular basis without a scratch and...and you can move trains around with light pushes! _You've never been helpless_!"

Buddy catches several deep breaths before resuming, "And that's why I admire you. Nothing could hold you down, Mr. Incredible. You could overcome any obstacle. Bomb Voyage holds a corporate building hostage? You punch him in the face. A train is about to fall off a broken railway? You push it back with your bare hands. Why do you think I look up to you? You never let yourself be pushed down, and you always get your way! You're everything I'm not!"

A moment of silence, and then Mr. Incredible puts a hand on Buddy's head. He does not really know what to say next. "Get some sleep, kid. You've had a rough day." He tries to smile, but Buddy's deadpan expression stops him.

Mr. Incredible wearily stands up and heads for the window. "I'll talk to you again soon enough."


End file.
